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Security, Cataloging and Value

Happy Tuesday, faithful reader. It is getting crazy here at work with the winter quarter coming to a close and all the students out in force trying to negotiate higher grades with less work. But I digress. Today, once again, I have a seemingly vast array of completely unrelated topics to talk about, but I assure you it all makes sense, or at least it should by the time we are finished.

Today I want to talk about security, not just because we are in the midst of a recession and security sounds like a good thing, but because we live in a technology-filled world and need to be able to properly secure our hardware and software. So here, from Lifehacker is a must read post on how to Properly Erase Your Physical Media. Really, take the time to read this post if you read nothing else today. It is amazing how lax people can be about wiping their data. I recently bought a refurbished cell phone and, lo and behold, all the old contacts, pictures and calendar were still on the phone. Luckily for the person, I’m nice and simply deleted everything, but someone else could have used the personal information. So be safe, not sorry and have some fun destroying your data before getting rid of your digital devices.

Speaking of security, one issue you don’t hear a lot about is security in Web 2.0 applications. Luckily for us, Librarian in Black has a post on the Top Web 2.0 Security Threats which links to a 15 page pdf on the topic. Just something good to be aware of, especially for any of us who are coding and editing Web 2.0 gadgets, widgets and other fun stuff.

So from security, we move to cataloging because even if you have really secure data, it doesn’t really do you much good if you can’t find what you want when you need it. Enter in Lifehacker’s 5 Best Movie Cataloging Tools. I love applications that make life easier, more organized and are pretty. And since many of these applications can be used for more than just movie cataloging, you can really get organized. And you’ll never be buy the same movie twice, saving money and those annoying return rituals.

So cataloging your home library or home movie collection is definitely helpful and adds value to your collection, but what about library value? I know that many libraries are trying to show that they are even more important in these, frankly, extremely bad economic times. So in case you didn’t see it the first time it was making its way around the blogosphere, check out the Denver Public Library Value Calculator. I really like the fact that this calculator converts value into dollar amounts which seems to be a good way of catching people’s attention.

Lastly, on the subject of value, here is an article on Tools for Landing a Better Job. No, I’m not looking for a job–I love my work, but for those who are, here is a list of 10 tools to help you with your job searching, interviewing and landing a new job. Most of the tips are pretty basic, but it is always good for review. And for those, who like me, are quite happy with their current positions, it never hurts to take a look at resume and CV tips so you can keep your CV current.

Have a great day and remember to step away from your computer at least once today. See you later this week.